Grand-piano action.



l. O. SCHWARZ.

GRAND PIANO ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-27. 1914.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

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THE COLUMBIA FLANDGRAPH 50., WASHINGTON, B. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JUSTIN O. SCHWARZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOIt T0 HARDMAN, BECK & 00., OF NEW YORK, N. Y. A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

GRAND-PIANO ACTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JUSTIN O. SoHwAnz, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grand- Piano Actions; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to piano actions especially adapted for player grand pianos wherein the mechanical and the manual actuating means are free to actuate the action, each entirely independent of the other.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for supporting the back check and its lever from one of the rails, and for connecting it with and actuating it by the support in such manner that said check and its lever may be readily removed without disarranging the other parts of the action.

With this object in view the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

The drawing is a view in side elevation of a single action unit.

As shown in the drawing certain rails 1, 2, 3 and 4: are provided upon which or in relation to which all of the several parts of the action are secured or mounted and such rails are shown herein in section. To the rail 1 the hammer is hinged in substantially the usual and ordinary manner, and to the rear rail 1 is hinged the support 6. The latter has a finger 7 secured thereto against which the manual key 8 and the pneumatic 9 bear as indicated. As neither the manual key 8 nor the pneumatic 9 is secured to the finger 7 it is obvious that either may actuate the finger independently of the other. The support 6 carries a repetition lever 10 pivoted upon an upright 12 with a repetition spring 13 interposed between the support 6 and lever 10 as is usual in grand piano actions.

Between the support and lever is located the jack pivoted to the support at 15 and carrying an offset finger 16 positioned to engage against an adjustable button 17. The

jack 1'1 also carries an adjustable stop 18 positioned to engage against a stop 19. The lever 10 is pivoted at 20 to the upright 12 and a pin 21 and adjustable stop 22 are provided while the lever itself carries a felt 23 positioned and proportioned to engage the adjustable screw 2%.

Beneath the low rmost rails 3 and I is located a check lever 25 carrying the back chec 26 as shown, and the forward end of this lever is pivoted at 25 to a block 29 which is removably mounted on the rail 3 by means of a screw 29. Between said pivot 25 and the back check 26, the lever 25 is supported from and connected with the support 6 by means of a link which is made in two parts 27, 27 whose outer ends are pivoted to the support and the lever and whose inner or meeting ends are provided with a lap joint 28 and connected with each other by a screw 28. Both screws 28 and 29 are readily accessible and may be withdrawn without dis-arranging the other parts of the action, and therefore the back check and the mechanism for supporting and actuating it can be entirely removed when desired, for repair or substitution. It is obvious that the attaching of the back check as shown provides an action heavier than an ordinary action and for the purpose of relieving the excess weight a spring 30 is inserted between the rail 4: and the support 6 to assist in lifting the parts. The support 6 also carries a felt 31 against wl ich the hammer rests and which felt takes the place of the usual and ordinary hammer rest rail found in a piano action. The arrangement of the hammer, support, jack, and repetition lever does not differ from actions now found in grand pianos. The invention, however, resides in the specific support for the back check, and the means for readily removing it. By this arrangement the entire action including the back check responds to impulses of either the manual key or the pneumatic and the piano is mechanically operated without actuating the manual keys.

I claim:

In a piano action, the combination with a hammer, a support pivoted near its rear end and carrying a jack near its front end, and a fixed rail beneath the support; of a block, a screw detachably connecting it with said rail, a check lever pivoted at its front end to said block and carrying the back check near In testimony whereof I afix my signature its rear end, a link in two parts Whose outer in presence of tWo Witnesses.

ends are pivoted to the support and lever re- JUSTIN O. SCHWARZ. spectively and Whose inner ends are lapped, WVitnesses:

5 and a screw detachably connecting said lap- JOSEPH SAUERLAND, ping ends. SAMUEL TAULEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

